DIY Tulle Autism Puzzle Piece Wreath

As most of you know, I have two boys with autism.  Both are higher functioning, but we have spent many hours in therapy over the years to get to this point.  One of my sons is still getting ABA and OT several times a week.   There's always discord in the autism community, but one thing we mostly agree on is that there's need for awareness and acceptance.  Most people who aren't affected by autism have no idea what autism really is.  They picture Rain Man or a nonverbal, violent child.  Autism is so much more. My boys are high functioning in most areas, so people don't always see their autism.  Believe me, it's there.   April is autism awareness month.  I made this autism awareness puzzle piece wreath to hang in my office so people will see it and hopefully it will spark a good conversation about autism in our community. TULLE AUTISM PUZZLE PIECE WREATH Links in this post may be affiliate links, which means that I earn a small commission f

SunIn Natural Hair Highlights Before & After Photos

This post has been sponsored by the PRIMP Network .  As always, all enthusiasm is my own. I've always been fussy about my hair.  When I was a teenager, I wanted highlights.  My mother is not someone who spends a lot of time or money on her hair, so she vetoed this real quick.  I couldn't drive, so I couldn't get to the store to buy a kit.   I did manage to talk her into a bottle of SunIn.  That summer, I finally had my highlights!  I was so thrilled to finally have a cool hair color.   My daughter watches me go to the salon and get red and blonde streaks in my hair, so of course she wants highlights too.  She's 10-years-old and already growing up too quickly, so I'd like her to wait a few years before she starts with regular salon visits.   She wanted to use SunIn natural hair highlights , and I agreed.  I knew her hair would look natural, so we spent an hour doing her hair last weekend.  

Instant Pot Chicken Broth With Chicken Carcass

How to make Instant Pot chicken broth with chicken carcass.  Use this for soups or in your Instant Pot as the liquid. My dad and stepmom got me an Instant Pot for Christmas.  I think they were expecting me to cook dinner in it, but I made lotion in my Instant Pot .  After I cleaned it out, I did use it to make food.  I love making a whole chicken, beef roasts, and pork chops in it. If you use an Instant Pot, then you know that you'll use a lot of chicken broth.  It needs a lot of water, and the broth just infuses flavor in your meat and makes it tender. I've been making my own broth for years.  Normally, this means simmering a pot on the stove for hours and carefully watching it so it doesn't boil over.  I tried making it in the Instant Pot, and that's how I'll be making it from now on. I just had to throw my ingredients in the liner, fill with water, and turn it o for 60 minutes.  Since you let it naturally release, I literally turned it on a

Best Gifts for Children With Autism

Easter is on April Fool's Day this year.  I am so tempted to wrap grapes in chocolate wrappers or prank them somehow, but I don't think it will go over well.  We focus more on the cross than the bunny for Easter, but Mr. Bunny still visits our house.  When the kids were really little, we told the Easter Bunny to give more gifts to kids who don't have a lot of toys because my kids are blessed with too many toys.  They get a basket with some fun spring and summer toys, but we don't go all out for Easter.   Some kids with autism like to dye eggs, but some do not.  If your child doesn't wait to dye eggs, maybe he or she can help prepare them if they are old enough.  They could also use markers or stickers to decorate eggs.  Think outside the box so everyone has fun.   I have a sensory seeker and a sensory avoider.  When they were little, I'd have one kid covered in egg dye from head to toe and one who didn't have a drop on him.  My daughter wa

What's New at Kalahari in Sandusky, Ohio for 2018 + Win a Free Night!

This post is sponsored by Kalahari Sandusky, but all enthusiasm is my own. Today is the first day of spring, and we currently have an ice storm as I type this.  Between the bitter cold weather and the crazy homeschool schedule, I am more ready for spring break than are my kids!   We don't travel far because we have farm animals to feed daily, but Kalahari in Sandusky, Ohio , is just over an hour away and the perfect place to relax for a day.  We went last year, and my kids begged to go back before we had even left for the day. My husband and I had a blast there too.  Usually when we go places, we spend our time watching the kids have fun.  I love watching my kids have fun, but we all got to play and fun at Kalahari.  

Suzanne Somers Organics Review

This post has been sponsored by the PRIMP Network . All opinions are my own. I grew up watching reruns of older shows, including Three's Company .  Suzanne Somers didn't play a strong female role in that show, but she is one in real life.  Not only is she a well known actress, but she's also a successful businesswoman. You probably remember seeing her in commercials as the spokesperson for the Thighmaster back in the day.  She helped have a successful product launch back then, and it's still going strong today. She also has an entire line of natural makeup, skin care, and hair care products that I had the pleasure of trying.  Keep reading for my Suzanne Somers Organics review .

Best Essential Oils for Sleep

These are the best essential oils to help you sleep at night. I take my sleep very seriously. I'm not a good mom or a good person to be around if I don't get enough sleep. And if I don't sleep well for more than two nights? Just leave me alone. Trust me, it's best for everyone involved for me to left alone. There is no amount of coffee that will help when I get less than 6 hours of sleep. Two of my kids are insomniacs. They can't fall asleep at night, even with melatonin, and then they want to sleep the day away. Even though we homeschool, we can't be starting our day at noon! So I'm turning to the best essential oils for sleep. I'm sure you'll recognize a few on this list (ahem, lavender), but there might be some ones that are new to you that you may want to try. BEST ESSENTIAL OILS FOR SLEEP Links in this post may be affiliate links, which means that I earn a small commission on sales. LAVENDER It's no

Cucumber and Green Tea Bath Salt Recipe

It's been alternating between a blizzard and bright sunshine all day today.  I know it always snows in April in Ohio, so I have a good 6 weeks left of winter, but I'm ready for spring and summer.  I've replaced my heavy winter scents with light scents in hopes of warmer weather.

DIY Scar and Stretch Mark Sugar Scrub Recipe With Helichrysum and Lavender

This scar and stretch mark sugar scrub recipe gently exfoliates while the oils help reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks.  We all have different skin needs.  I have oily skin, but you may have combination or dry skin.  But one thing that almost all of have are scars.  Our scars tell our story, but that doesn't mean that we have to learn to love them. I have a scar on my leg that I don't like.  It's rather large and ugly, so I don't wear shorts when I go out in public.  I also have stretch marks from having babies.  My kids are totally worth it, but I would still like to fade the scars. Check out my scar and stretch mark salve that I posted over at Soap Deli News.    Using both of them together will increase your chances at fading old scars. SCARS AND STRETCH MARKS Once you have a scar or stretch mark, which are just scars, you'll never completely get rid of it without having surgery.  But you can fade them so they are harder t